Automatic piano-player.



M. VERSTRAELEN.

AUTOMATIC PIANO PLAYER:

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 26, 1910.

Patented Jan. 28,1913.

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AUTOMATIC PIANO PLAYER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 26, 1910.

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AUTOMATIC PIANO PLAYER.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 26, 1910.

Patented Jan.28,1913.

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M. VERSTRAELEN.

AUTOMATIC PIANO PLAYER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 26, 1910.

Patented J an. 28, 1913.

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M. VERSTRAELEN. AUTOMATIC PIANO PLAYER.

Y APPLICATION nun) NOV. 26,1910. 1,051,468, Patented Jam-28, 1913.

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f CUNITED 'srrAtrEs PATENT OFFICE.

MICH EL VERSTRAELEN, or NEAR INGLEWQOD, CALIFoRNIA; ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF To J. H. BURTON, or OCEAN PARK, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC PIANO-PLAYER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 28, 1913.

Application filed November 26, 1910. Serial No. 594,258.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that'I, MICHAEL VERSTRAE- LEN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing near Inglewood, county of Los Angeles, State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Automatic Piano-Players, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates primarily to pneumatic mechanism for installationin any standard upright piano with a Boston fall,

whereby the same may be playedautomafically and more particularly tocertain details of construction, whereby improved execution is obtained;and to the arrangement of the small pneumatics which .operate thehammers; and to the construction of the valves controlling thesepneumatics, whereby a greater range of action is obtained than ispossible without a case especially constructed for the piano to housethe playing attachment; and also to the arrangementand construction-ofthe mechanism for controlling or giving expression to the music playedon the instrument, whereby a greater and more effective control andbetter ex pression is obtained than in the ordinary "piano players; andalso in other details of construction hereinafter set forth; and theobject thereof is to provide mechanism adapted to be built into anystandard uprightpiano havinga Boston fall, now on the 'market, withoutchanging the external case thereof, and which will not interfere withthe ordinary use thereof, and which will enable an operatortoautomatically play such piano with as fine expression'as can beobtained-by a skilled musician from such instrument by tln ordinary useof the keys thereof. I accomplish these objects by the mechanismdescribed herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in whichFigure 1 is a frontview o fmy improved playing mechanism in place in apiano, with certain parts of th case thereof removed for clearness ofillustration and with certain parts of my improve-d mechanism insection.

Fig. 2,is an end elevation of my player mechanism in place in a piano,the case of the ipiano being in cross section. Fig. 31s anenlargedsectional detail of the pneu matics and valves controlling thesame. Fig.

' 4 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevation with parts in section ofa portion of thepneumatics and valves. Fig. 0 1s a top plan view of thevalves controlling the pneushown in Fig. 7 on the line 1010 thereof.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged detail to show the construction of the expressionlevers and connected mechanism. Fig. 12 is a section on the line l2l2 ofFig. 11'. .Fig. 13 is a sec tion on the line l313 of Fig. 11. Fig. 14;is a sect-ion on the line 14-14; of Fig. 11. Fig. 15 is a sectionaldetail of a pneumatic like that shown in Fig. 1-1: in its collapsedposition. detail of the upper portion of the expression controllingmechanism, with the valve open.

In the drawings 20 is the case of an ordinary upright piano and 21 isthe Boston fall covering for the keys 22 thereof. This cover is awellknown type and comprises a cover for the outer ends of the keysformed of two leaves hinged together, one leaf being adapted to fold onthe other and then both leaves to be turned under a shelf forming a partof the case andis illustrated in Patent No. 801,270 issued to J.Sampere', Oct. 10, 1905, and known to the trade as Boston fall cover.Over the rear portion of the keys are the pneumatic holding bars 23.

Fig. 16 is an enlarged sectional In an ordinary piano there are 88 keys,

and I have found in the construction of my piano player and in theoperation thereof that three bars are sutlicient to provide mountings.for a sufficient number of pneu matics to operate all the keys. Thesebars are super-imposed with spacenblocks 2 f inter-posed at the endsthereof-as bestshown in Figs. and at. -These.bars have longitudinalchannels '25. and .253 (seev Fig. l)

whichextendfrom nearly-the ends of the bars to near the centers and attheir outer. ends open into -Y6ltl0ill channels, .one. of

. which 26'is shown in Fig. 4. These bars are preferably thicker attheir outer than at their inner faces, being beveled on their undersurfaces as best shown in Fig. 3. To the under surfaces of these barsare secured pneumatics 27, of which there are as many as there are keyson the piano. The pneumatics on one bar are preferably placed staggeredas to pneumat-ics on the adjacent bar, so as to provide greater freedomof action, as best shown in Fig. 4. The base 28 of each pneumatic issecured to the bar, preferably by being glued thereto, and is providedwith a port 29 therein, as bestshown in Fig. 3, which registers with anL- shaped channel 80 which extends upwardly and then inwardly withrespect to the bar 23. The upper portion of this channel is reduced insize and terminates in a port 31., which opens into channel 25. Theupper portion of this portorchannel is larger than the lower portion, asbest shown in Fig. 3, and in the enlarged portion is received a valve32, which covers the lower or narrow portion of the port. This valve hasa wing guide 83 atiixed to the bottom thereof, which has a verticalmovement in the lower narrow portion of the port, so as to guide thevalve as it moves offend on of its seat, as hereafter explained.

The top of the port is covered by a plate 34 having a central aperturetherein, as best shown in Figs. 3 and-6. This cent "a1 aperture is alittle smaller than valve 32, so that when the valve reaches the limitof its upward movement, it closes the aperture in the plate therebyestablishing a closed communication between the interior of thepneumatic and channel 25. Upon the base of the pneumatic is secured abar 36 which extends beyond the end of the pneumatic as best shown inFig. 3. In this bar is mounted a regulating screw 37, which is adaptedto be enga ed by bar 38, secured to the movable leaf 89 of the pneumaticwhen the pneumatic is collapsed. By means of these regulating screws anabsolute uniformity in the throw of movement of the movable leaf of thepneumatic is obtained, thus rendering it possible to regulate themovement of the movable leaf of the pneumatic and give to each pneumaticthe same throw. Bars 38 also engage brackets 40, which are adjustablysecured to the sticker or abstract bars 41 of the ordinary piano action,and thereby move the abstract in'the same manner as if it were moved bythe ordinary key action when the pneumatic is collapsed. Each ab stractis provided with a bracket and the ends of bars 88 engage the bottom ofthe bracket as shown in Fig. 3. Located above the pneumatic holding barsand secured to the ends of the case are valve bars '42. These barsarespaced apart by spacer blocks 43, at the ends thereof, as shown inFigs. 3 and 4. These valve bars have'longitudinal channels 44 extendingfrom nearly one end thereof to a central partition. They are providedwith ports 45 extending from the channel, through the upper portion ofthe bar above the channels. There are as many LOSI 468 of these portsthere are neumatics. Extending through these ports are valve stems 46,which carry upon their outer ends valves 47, which are adapted to closethe ports normally. On the inner ends of the stems are valves 47, whichare adapted to close the inner ends of the ports as shown in the uppervalve bar of Fig. 3 when the pneumatics are collapsed, as shown in thelower pneumatic in Fig. 3. Extending outof channels 44 and directlybelow each valve 47 is av small shallow diaphragm chamber 48 whichispreferably round, as shown in F ig. 4. These diaphragm chambers areclose together, and are provided with a flexible diaphragm 49, which ispreferably thin sheep skin. Immediately below valves 47 and secured tothe diaphragms are thin felt punchings 49*, which when the air isexhausted from. channels 44 engage valves 47 and raise them to theirseats, thereby closing the inner cndsof ports 45. Before the air can beexhausted from channels'44 tracker channels 52 must be connected toatmosphere which is done when a perforation in the music roll passesinto register with. the outer end of the channel. An L-shaped channel 50extends from the diaphragm chamber to the front face of the valve bar,

-as best shown in F igs. 8 and 4. L--shaped channels 137 open upwardlyfrom channels 50 and terminate in bleed holes 138 which communicate withchannels 44; A channel 51 extends from the front face of the-valve barand opens into port 45 as best shown in Fig. 3. Channels 26 also connectwith channels 44, as best shown in Fig. 4. Channels 50 are connected bytubes with ports 53 in the tracker board 54- Channels 51 are connectedby tubes 55, with channels 56, which last channels extend from the frontof the pneumatic holding bar, into diapl'lragm chambers 57. Thesediaphragm chambers are preferably round and shallow and are covered by aflexible diaphragm 58. Diaphragm chambers 57 are very close together andare covered by a thin flexible material, which is glued to the partssurrounding the tops of the chambers. Channel 26 is connected by tube 59with the interior of pneumatic 60 of expression box 61. to thepneumatic, the expressionbox consists of the regulating chamber 62,which is connected with the pneumatic by ports 63 and 64, which arelocated in partition 65, which separates the interior of the pneumaticfrom the chamber and forms the fixed wall of the pneumatic. Within thepneumatic and adapted to control port 63 is a valve 66, which ispreferably formed of a body of wood, beveled at one end and covered onthe under or port side with a strip of sheep skin, or other flexiblematerial 67, which is 'glued at 68 to the partition 65. There is onlyenough of the leather glued to the partition In addition to hold thevalve in place and to allow it to turn on the glued portion as afulcrum. A

that spring 69 bears upon the back of the as shown in Fig. 7. Themovable leaf ofpneumatic 60 carries closer block 7 0 upon the inner sidethereof, which is adapted to strike upon the back of valve 66 when thepneumatic is collapsed and cause the valve to close port 63. Port64preferably has a metallic lining, consisting of a tube 73 whichprojects slightly above the partition into the regulating chamber.Immediately above this port is a diaphragm chamber 74 which is coveredby a flexible diaphragm 75, con sisting preferably of thin sheep skin.This diaphragm carries a valve 7 6 of felt or other suitable material,which is adapted under certain conditions to drop and close port 64.

Extending through the upper wall of the regulating chamber is a port orchannel 77,

through which extends a valve stem 78. 1 On the outer end of this valvestem is a valve 79 which normally closes the outer end of thechannel'as'shown in Fig. 8. On the inner end of this valve stem is avalve 72,

- which is adapted to close the inner end of port 77, when the valve israised to its up per position. Immediately below valve 72 is adiaphragmchamber 80, which is covcred by a flexible diaphragm 81. A fiatheadedscrew 82 is screwed into valve 72 and whenthe valve is in its normalposition as best shown in Fig. 8, holds the diaphragm depressed. Leadingfrom the diaphragm chamber 80 is a channel or port 83, which isconnected by tube 84 with channel 85, in bar 86 of the piano case asshown in Fig. 16. A "alve 87 is hinged to bar 86 by a piece'of flexiblematerial 88, preferably sheepskin. An expression key 89 extends throughbar 86and engages valve 87 to open the same. In Fig. 16 the valve isshown depressed. A spring 90 normally holds the valve closing channel85. Pneumatic 60' is provided with a spring 91, which "normally holdsthe pneumatic in its expanded' condition. a port'92, which is connectedby a pipe 93, with channel 94 in bar 95. This channel runs toand opensinto control box 96 back of a slide-valve 97 as shown in dotted linesin"Fig. 11*, and. in 'full lines in Fig. 13. Leading out of the otherend of the control'box is' 'a port or channel 98, which is connected bya pipe 99, to the motor 100,

which; operates the playing roll 101 and the revvinding roll 102. in theusual manner.

In" the control box is a slide valve 103, which is coupled by. pin 104to slidevalve 97 and" moves with it. Valve 97. has a stem 105consi'stin'gjof two parts adjustably connected together by the couplerblock 106. This stem is pivotally connected to lever 107,

Regulating box 62 has I pression key 125- which lever is pivoted toavblock 108 secured upon bar 95. The other end of lever 107 is connectedby rod 109 to operating lever 110 pivotally mounted in bar 86.. Openingout of the control box, is a speed port 111 7d which opens intopneumatic 132 (see Figs. '14 and 15). Opening out of pneumatic 132 is aport or channel 133 which opens into channel 98. A valve 134 is mountedin pneumatic 132' and is normally'held open by a spring 135 as shown inFig. 14-. The

movable leaf is provided with a striker block 136 which engages valve134 and forces it to its seat when the pneumatic is collapsed as shownin Fig. 15. The purpose of this valve and pneumatic is to equalize theWind pressure upon themusic moving motor when. the operator operates themain bellows strenuously to produce a forte or fortissimo effect. Thispneumatic and valve operate as an equalizer on the music moving motormechanism, as it prevents undue suction on the motor bellows.

A slide valve 113 is mounted in the'control box and has a stem 114,consisting of two parts united by coupler block 115. Stem 114 isconnected to the speed lever 116, which lever is pivotally mounted inbar 86, which. forms a part of the ordinary case of the piano. In thecontrol box and open- 95 ing out of the same, between valves 97 and 103is a port or channel 117 which leads to and is connected to longitudinalchannel 118 in bar 95 below channel 94, the course of said channel beingshown in dotted lines 160' in Fig. 11. Channel 94 has a port 119 openingout of the same, shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 11, which isconnected by a pipe 120, with expression box 121. Expres .sion box 121is constructed in all respects 106 like expression box 61 and tube 120connects with a pneumatic thereof, the same as tube 59 connects withpneumatic'60 of expression box 61. Tube 122 connects ex pression box 121with a vertical channel like channel 26, which vertical channel is con-.nected to the channels 25 and channels 44- in the same manner thatchannel 26 is connected to channels 25 and to channels Expression box121 has a diaphragm chamber'similar to chamber 80 with a port or channelleading out of the same similar to port 83 of expression box 61, thislast channel or'port is connected by a tube .123 with a channel in bar86 similar to channel 85 therein. This last channel is controlled by avalve 124, which is operated by an ex Va-lve 124- is similar inconstruction and operation to valve '87.

Suitably mounted upon the frame of the 125 piano are pedals 126 and 127,which operate the main exhaust bellows 128 and 129. These bellows areconnected by suitable ports and passages with channel 118, which channelis shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 130 and the port 130 which connectsbellows 129 to said channel is shown in full lines, a portion of thebellows broken away to show said port. An auxiliary bellows 131 ismounted upon the case of the piano and is connected by suitable portsand passages with channel 118, as shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and11.

In the operation of my piano player, the same being mounted in the pianoas hereinbeforc explained and a music roll being secured therein as iscustomary, the operator would move lever 110 to open channel 9 1 andclose port 98. Lever 116 is moved to give port 111 the required openingto give the motor the speed designated for the play ing of the piece ofmusic. It will be ob served that port 111 is irregular in .shape beingsmaller at a point farther away from the lever than next to it. lVhenthe port is fully uncovered as shown -in Fig. 11, the motor would haveits maximum speed which would cause the music roll to move at maximumspeed. said port it gradually closes the same thereby lessening thespeed of the motor and causing a corresponding decrease in the speed ofthe music roll; Should it be desired to play the bass notes very softly,the operator depresses expression key 89 to its full limit as shown inFig. 16, thereby unclosing channel to the atmosphere, which breaks thevacuum below diaphragm 81, which is immediately raised by air enteringrecess 7-1 thereby seating valve 79 and opening channel 7:! toatmosphere. Atmospheric pressure then causes diaphragm 75 to descend andcarry valve 76 to close port (3 1 and thereafter the exhaust from theaction by way of tube 59 must act through port 63. Port has notsufficient clearness for the full exhaust, which. before passed throughports 63 and 64, and pneumatic (l0 collapses and causes valve 66 toflutter and close and unclose port 63, thereby shutting off the exhaustandopening theexhaust according to the demands of the action to thepneumatics which operate the bass abstracts,

.t'hus giving as soft a tone as in the ordinary piano action by the useof the pianissimo pedal. In a fractional part of a second valve 06 opensowing to leakage and the operation is repeated. If a very softexpression of the treble is desired expression key 125 is depressed whenthe action is the same as 'betore described as to the bass notes. By theuse of these expression keys any desired tone can be produced betweenvery soft and loud. By using three banks of pneumatics, every key in thepiano can be playcd'and by separating the primary control valves of thepneumatics and placing them in bars detached from the pneumatics andplacing the same over the pneumatics a more compact mechanism isprovided, be-

As valve 113 is moved over cause the valves, which control the pneu-matics can be placed closer together than when they are on the samehorizontal plane with the pneumat-ics as found in the usualconstruction. In this construction it' will be observed, that thepneumatics of each bank lie in a plane parallel with and above the innerends of the keys of the piano and that the secondary valves whichcontrol the pneumatics lie in a horizontal plane above the pneumaticsand are located in bars which are thicker at their outer edges than H attheir inner edges which bars also support the pneumatics; that thethinner inner edges of the pneumatic holding bars leave room foractuating the movable leaves thereof; and that the primary valves are inbars lying in planes parallel to the piano keys but above the neumatics,thereby providing an exceedingly compact construction, which enables meto use as large and powerful hammer actuating pneumatics as may berequired in any player construction for operating in a piano, andenables me to put}. a player action into any piano having a case with aBoston fall and which has not been built with a view of putting a playeraction therein. By combining the elements in this peculiar manner spaceis utilized that in other players is wasted without interfering with theordinary action of the piano.

Having described my invention what I claim is :v

1. An. upright piano ha ing keys and ham-' mers, and abstracts andstrings and a case not especially constructed for a player attachmentand in which the distance between the upper portions of the front of thecase and the action is insullicient to accommodate the usual primaryvalve construction, said case having a covering for the outer ends ofthe keys consisting of leaves hinged together with one of the leaveshinged to the case and commonly called a Boston fall; in combinationwith a player attaclnnent comprising three banks of secondary valvesarranged in bars and having their front ends lying under the pianoshelf, said bars being thicker at theirouter' than at their inner edgesand being located above the inner ends of the piano keys between theabstracts and the front of the case; pneumatics secured to said bars andoperatively connected to operate the hammer mechanism of the piano;means to actuate said pneumatics, two banks of prii'nary valves arrangedin bars and located above the secondary valves and located between theabstracts and the front ofthe case; connec tions from the prinn'n'y tothe secondary alves; a tracker board; connections from the t *ackcrboard to the primary valves; and means to cause asheet of perforatedmusic to travel across said board.

2. An upright piano having keys and hammers and abstract and strings anda case not especially constructed for a player attachment,' and in whichthe distance-between the upper portionof the front ofthe case-and theaction is insuflic'ient to accommodatla' the usual primary valveconstruction, said piano having a covering forfthe outer ends ofthe keysconsisting of-leaves: 1 hinged together and one leaf hinged to the shelfand commonly known as a Boston fall cover 'ili'comblnation with a p1ayerattach ment comprising a, tracker board, adapted to be placed in thecase above the hammers;

:means to cause a perforated sheet of music to travel across and oversaid board; a 35111- rality of banks of. primary valves arranged invertical rows between the hammers and the. front'of the case; aplurality of banks of secondary valves operatively connected to a theprimaryvalves, arranged in vertical rows; a" plurality of neumatics foroperat- I the case; and means to actuate said pneu- 1 matics, a

In witness that I claimtheforegoing I have hereunto subscribed my namethis 18th day-of November, 1910.

MICHAEL VERSTRAELEN.

Witnesses:

G. E. HARPHAM, C. M. AUs'rIN.

